5 best fantasy football pickups to make for Week 8
By Jakob Ashlin
1. RB Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered: 16.4%
On Sunday, Gus Edwards returned from an ACL injury. It was his first game since January 3, 2021. Edwards looked fantastic in his season debut, rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
With J.K. Dobbins on IR, Edwards led the Ravens backfield with 16 carries. Meanwhile, Kenyan Drake had 11 carries for only five yards. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Dobbins is expected to miss four to six weeks. So, Edwards should have significant short-term value.
Ravens’ standout RB J.K. Dobbins is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week that would sideline him 4-6 weeks, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2022
Edwards is more than capable of handling the workload in the meantime. Since entering the league in 2018, Edwards has been one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL. Edwards is one of only two running backs in NFL history to rush for 700+ yards and average 5.0 yards per carry in each of their first three seasons. Edwards’s efficiency does not waver with volume, either. In games with 20+ carries, Edwards still averages 5.1 yards per carry.
Some Gus Edwards stats:
— Jakob Ashlin (@JakobAshlin) February 16, 2021
-1 of 2 players in NFL history to rush for 700 yards and 5 YPC in their first 3 seasons
-1 of 3 players to average 2.6 YAC each of the last 3 seasons
-Had the highest % of runs for 1st down/TD in the NFL
-5.1 YPC in games with 20+ carries#RavensFlock
In 2020, he had the highest percentage of runs for first downs or touchdowns in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1358441910852063235
Edwards is a must-add in all fantasy football leagues. In the short term, he should continue to lead the Ravens backfield and receive the majority of the goal-line work.
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